Press releases are spam

What do you call a generic pitch sent out to hundreds of strangers hoping that

one will bite? Spam. That's what press releases are too: generic pitches for

coverage sent out to hundreds of journalists you don't know, hoping that one will

write about you.

Let's dissect the purpose of a press release for a moment: It's something you

send out because you want to be noticed. You want the press to pick up on your

new company, product, service, announcement, or whatever. You want them to

be excited enough to write a story about you.

But press releases are a terrible way to accomplish that. They're tired and

formulaic. There's nothing exciting about them. Journalists sift through dozens a

day. They wind up buried under an avalanche of hyperbolic headlines and fake

quotes from CEOs. Everything is labeled sensational, revolutionary,

groundbreaking, and amazing. It's numbing.

If you want to get someone's attention, it's silly to do exactly the same thing as

everyone else. You need to stand out. So why issue press releases like everyone

else does? Why spam journalists when their inbox is already filled with other

people's spam?

Furthermore, a press release is generic. You write it once and then send it to

tons of reporters--people whom you don't know and who don't know you. And

your first introduction is this vague, generic note you also send to everyone else?

Is that the impression you want to make? Is that really going to get you the

story?

Instead, call someone. Write a personal note. If you read a story about a

similar company or product, contact the journalist who wrote it. Pitch her with

some passion, some interest, some life. Do something meaningful. Be

remarkable. Stand out. Be unforgettable. That's how you'll get the best coverage.